Spring Party, Autumn Post

His son’s face is covered in a greenish-yellow goo! Chris holds his daughter, showing an “aw shucks” grin. I stare at his Facebook photo.

The last time he called, I knelt on a sub floor, laying $4.00/tile Italian Porcelain with Jeff. He and I were finishing the renovation of my kitchen. The new floor was the last phase. Chris invited me to catch the game with him and his fantasy football buds at the new wing place in the Palisades. I hadn’t seen him since a house party he hosted in the spring.

“We’ll be there if we can,” I said.

Five weeks later, after I didn’t show, I finally type something.

Clinging red leaves
One long sigh before
Clicking ‘send’

first published in Image Curve, September 21, 2014

Photograph by Ryan McGuire